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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24416665">The Dancers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pointyshades/pseuds/pointyshades'>pointyshades</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Disco Elysium (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fake Dating, Fancy, M/M, going to a ball</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:13:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,250</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24416665</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pointyshades/pseuds/pointyshades</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Du Bois and Kim Kitsuragi pretend to be partners (in a romantic way) in order to sneak into a ball reputed to be hosted by the Mazda, a notorious gang leader.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Du Bois/Kim Kitsuragi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Disco Elysium Big Bang</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Dancers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi thanks for reading one of my big bang entries!! this was brainstormed with @gracedrawsstuff on twitter, who also did the awesome art shown below in the fic!<br/>hope you enjoy :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Trivial: Success] – You stare intently into the mirror, searching for anything amiss. You wouldn’t put it past yourself to have somehow stained your dove-grey suit in the last ten minutes, despite taking special care not to eat or drink anything since you put it on. But despite your critical eye, you can’t find any problems – your necktie (as far from horrific as it can get, at a light, creamy blue) is straight, your cufflinks are tightened, and the collar of your white dress shirt stands at attention, perfectly folded so that the corners just brush the smooth lapels of your suit.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE – Even your shoes, the one remaining tribute to the *disco* state of your usual attire, are immaculate. The green snakeskin has been polished until it shines. You could probably see your reflection in them as well, if you tried.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE – It’s astounding. You, Harry Du Bois, are ready for the ball.</p><p>ENCYCLOPEDIA [Trivial: Success] – It’s not exactly a ball. While most people attending would simply refer to it as a party, a more accurate term would be to call it a fête: a lofty celebration being thrown in a certain individual’s honor.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE – You prefer to call it a party, though, because otherwise you have to recognize the person whose honor it is being thrown in…</p><p>HALF LIGHT [Trivial: Success] – The Mazda.</p><p>ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] – An unknown specter of terror, the ruler of one of the most dangerous gangs in Revachol. And no one has ever seen their face.</p><p>HALF LIGHT – The Mazda could be anyone at this party. Every hand you shake, every face you peer into could be that of a ruthless gang leader. You will be in deadly danger the entire time.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] – But hey, at least you look nice.</p><p>ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] – And you won’t be alone.</p><p>PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Trivial: Success] – At that moment, you hear a knock on the door.</p><p>EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] – That’s him!</p><p>YOU – Leaving the mirror behind, you hurry to open the door for your partner – and the other half of your cover story this evening – Kim Kitsuragi.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Medium: Failure] – As soon as you see him, you are aware of one fact, and one fact only: this man is *immeasurably* cooler than you.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI – The lieutenant is wearing a suit that perfectly matches the color of your tie; it is a pale sky-blue, the jacket unbuttoned to reveal a dark waistcoat over a white button-up shirt. He is not wearing a tie, but a neatly-folded handkerchief juts from one pocket. A grey scarf is coiled around his neck, protecting his exposed skin from the biting winds. His familiar thick-rimmed glasses are perched on his face, and his hair is combed back carefully, not even his usual cowlick sticking up.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI – He smiles at you, with a hint of discomfort.</p><p>EMPATHY [Easy: Success] – You’re staring, Harry.</p><p>YOU – But he’s so *stylish*! From the top of his head down to his shiny black shoes, he is the picture of reserved elegance.</p><p>VOLITION [Challenging: Success] – Jaw. Closed. Now.</p><p>YOU – You snap your jaw shut with an audible click and return Kim’s smile.</p><p>SUGGESTION [Medium: Failure] – Now, say something casual, and the two of you can make your way to the party.</p><p>YOU – “*Wow*, Kim, you look *incredible*.”</p><p>SUGGESTION – That was not casual.</p><p>REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] – Surprise flickers across his face, mixed with something unreadable.</p><p>SUGGESTION – Backpedal!</p><p>YOU – “Uh, I mean, I look incredible too. I’m sure everyone at this party will look incredible. That’s the theme, basically – incredible-looking people.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI – “Mhm.” One corner of his mouth arcs up in a wry smile. “Are you ready to go, detective?”</p><p>YOU – “Sure, yeah. Let’s go get *disco*.”</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Medium: Success] – The more you speak, the less cool you look to Lieutenant Kitsuragi. Better stop before you make it any worse.</p><p>YOU – You manage to suppress any further upwellings, and the two of you walk outside to the waiting Kineema.</p><p>--</p><p>PERCEPTION (HEARING) – You hear the party before you enter. A rich babble of voices spills out of the open doors of a building on Boogie Street, light shining from every window. The clink of glasses and bubble of liquor pouring into glasses mix beneath the words.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] – Sweet, sweet alcohol, baby! You haven’t had a drink in *weeks*. You’ve earned this! Get in there and party with the best of them!</p><p>VOLITION [Medium: Success] – You should *not* do that.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI – Kim glances sidelong at you as you approach the building.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI – “Harry?” he asks, holding out his arm.</p><p>LOGIC [Trivial: Success] – He is suggesting that you enter the party appearing to be a couple. He is right, of course; your cover tonight depends on the idea that the two of you are wealthy art traders from Couron looking to make connections and perhaps a few purchases at tonight’s gala.</p><p>ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] – It took the RCM months to secure these invitations, and you have been victim to several patented Jean Vicquemare rants in the last few weeks telling you not to mess this up.</p><p>LOGIC – Your real purpose here, of course, is not to purchase art *or* make connections. It is to discover the identity of the Mazda.</p><p>YOU – You take Kim’s arm in yours.</p><p>ENCYCLOPEDIA [Trivial: Success] - While the homo-sexual underground is, well, *underground* most places in Revachol for a reason, the lavish parties thrown at this locale before have been reported to be notably accepting.</p><p>LOGIC [Easy: Success] – In addition, you are depending on the ruse to further deflect suspicion from the two of you. The idea, however repugnant, is that two officers of the RCM would *never* pose as homo-sexuals, even to go undercover. It would be bad for the RCM’s public reputation, ostensibly.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Trivial: Success] – So the more enamored with Kim you appear, the less likely it is that your cover will be challenged.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] – Good.</p><p>YOU – What?</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI – “Focus, Harry,” Kim murmurs, leaning in as the two of you show your invitations and pass through the door. “From now on, everyone around us could be dangerous. We need to find our contact’s painting and then watch for the person wearing the Mazda’s sigil.”</p><p>EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - Kim is calling you by your first name because there is no way he could call you *detective* while you are deep undercover. </p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - Still, the sound of it on his tongue sends a thrill down your spine.</p><p>YOU – You nod.</p><p>LOGIC [Trivial: Success] – More details from the case file. A promising young artist who received a specialized invitation from the Mazda, a gift of an expensive signet ring, and a flirtatious letter hinting that the Mazda might be wearing it tonight (sent to said artist, who cracked under RCM pressure and agreed to remain by a certain painting of theirs all night, in case the Mazda attempts to make contact). The facts flit through your mind and then are banished…</p><p>PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Trivial: Success] – By the grandeur that soars around you.</p><p>YOU – You were not expecting this.</p><p>PERCEPTION – A staircase swoops through the center of the room, appearing to hang in thin air, its banisters exquisitely carved and its steps carpeted by plush blue fabric. Not one, but several massive chandeliers illuminate every corner of the hall with glittering light. This light, in turn, dances off of the jewelry that drips like liquid gold off of the neck, fingers, and faces of every wealthy Revacholiére within your line of vision.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Trivial: Success] - It is a calculated display of ostentatiousness. At a party thrown by a notorious mob boss, no one dares look outdated or ungrateful. Everyone is on their best behavior.</p><p>EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - Perhaps they will win a favor.</p><p>HALF LIGHT [Trivial: Success] - Or perhaps they are just hoping to avoid the Mazda’s attention. One misstep, and this all goes sideways. So the ball must continue, like a beautiful, choreographed dance…</p><p>YOU - You cast a nervous sideways glance at Kim.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant looks as uncomfortable as you. He tugs at his starched collar, runs his hands over his hair, and adjusts his glasses. It is plain to see that he feels out of place in the midst of all this opulence.</p><p>YOU - “Kim, are you alright?”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - His attention snaps to you. “Oh - yes-yes, I’m quite alright, Harry. Simply taking it all in.” His smile is slightly wan.</p><p>YOU - You glance at a nearby clock. Even it is ornate; you’re pretty sure the shining leaves offsetting the dark wood are made of real gold.</p><p>PERCEPTION [Easy: Success] - The slant of the delicately-carved clock hands tells you that you have nearly an hour at this party before your rendezvous is intended to take place. </p><p>LOGIC [Medium: Success] - The ballroom is large, but not large enough for you to spend that entire hour looking for the painting you are supposed to meet at. And if you find it before the appointed meeting time, it may seem suspicious to loiter.</p><p>DRAMA [Easy: Success] - You shall have to find something else to occupy yourselves with, sire.</p><p>YOU - Like what?</p><p>DRAMA - A true gentleman, a hero befitting of the revolutionary name your parents bestowed upon you, would dance his betrothed around the room in true grace and elegance.</p><p>YOU - Betrothed?? I’m pretty sure Kim is just my boyfriend in this scenario…</p><p>DRAMA - Your beloved, then.</p><p>YOU - Beloved??</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Look at him. The elegant profile of his face, the way the darker hue of his skin is offset by the creamy blue of his suit. His trim figure, shoulders back and hands carefully folded. His every movement is precise, calculated. He is like a hawk, the illusion only spoiled by the thick glasses that perch on his nose, giving him an owlish look.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] - Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The glasses humanize him; they turn him from a sleek, untouchable police officer to a human man. Someone with flaws and fears and emotions, like any other.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] - You would like to inspire a few of those emotions yourself.</p><p>YOU - Okay, hold on. These are not the kind of thoughts I should be having in a high-stakes situation.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Ah, but when else? Your pulse is already pounding, your palms are sweaty, and adrenaline is seeping into your veins.</p><p>EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - Kim feels it too; look at the shallow breaths he takes beside you.</p><p>SUGGESTION [Challenging: Success] - In fact, you should probably say something to defuse this tension. Being on edge will not help the odds that the two of you accomplish your mission safely tonight.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - *Or* your odds of kissing Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi smack on the lips.</p><p>YOU - You clear your throat as if it will clear your mind at the same time. It doesn’t.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - But it does bring the lieutenant’s attention to you. The two of you are loitering just to the side of the main entrance, on the very edge of the ballroom. His hands are behind his back as he asks, “Yes, Harry?”</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Your name in his mouth again.</p><p>YOU - “Kim…”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - He blinks.</p><p>YOU - “...Would you like some punch?”</p><p>EMPATHY [Medium: Failure] - Your words fall into the space between you and make not a ripple in the flat stillness of his face. What is he thinking? What is he feeling? Is he disappointed that you didn’t ask him to dance? Does his heart leap at the thought of his hand on your shoulder, your hand at his waist, the way yours does contemplating the same moment?</p><p>LOGIC [Challenging: Success] - Or is he just nervous because the two of you are in a dangerous situation?</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - After a moment’s pause, a small smile crosses the lieutenant’s face.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Sure, Harry,” he says. “Let’s get some punch.”</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Trivial: Success] - The smile lights up his face from the inside. You would do anything to make it stay there forever.</p><p>VOLITION [Trivial: Success] - Hey, lover-boy. Need I remind you of the importance of this operation? Identifying the Mazda so that their gang crimes can finally be addressed before they grow to a scale that is insurmountable? Getting out of here with both your hide and Lieutenant Kitsuragi’s intact?</p><p>YOU - That’s a good point.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - But Harry, think of the late nights you’ve spent staring at your ceiling and imagining the feeling of Kim’s lips on yours. You’ve spent months pining over him, ever since the incident in Martinaise when the two of you first met. The feeling grew on you gradually; at first you thought it was just gratitude that he wasn’t cruel to you when the rest of the world seemed ready to crush you underfoot. </p><p>ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] - Then, when he followed you to the 41st, you thought it was friendship, camaraderie. A good partner to watch your back (and Jean was all too happy to give you up). The two of you fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.</p><p>EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - And then one late night came, the two of you hovering over paperwork in the Precinct, and Kim’s hand brushed yours when you handed him a folder -</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] - And the spike of warmth that went up your arm at that slight contact, sending your heartbeat pattering into high gear, told you that something ran deeper here than friendship.</p><p>VISUAL CALCULUS [Trivial: Success] - You can’t count the number of sleepless hours you’ve spent in analysis since then. You lie in bed calculating the likelihood of Kim’s attraction to you, collating facts and aggregating results from every faint smile, every brush of fingertips, every gentle word.</p><p>LOGIC [Medium: Failure] - Your conclusions...were unclear.</p><p>PAIN THRESHOLD [Medium: Failure] - And so you are doomed to fail.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Khm.” The lieutenant clears his throat at your side.</p><p>REFRESHMENTS TABLE - The two of you have reached your destination: an ornate table covered in delectable pastries and fine flutes of champagne, ready for the taking. There is also, as you noticed earlier, a large crystal fountain bubbling with what appears to be fruit juice.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Medium: Failure] - In layman’s terms: the punch bowl.</p><p>YOU - “Wow, look at this spread.”</p><p>PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Trivial: Success] - Your stomach rumbles; some of these pastries look like they would cost a whole month’s salary.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] - Not to mention the *liquor*, baby! Sweet, sweet party juice! Get some of that in your mouth *now*!</p><p>VOLITION [Formidable: Success] - Don’t do that.</p><p>YOU - Your fingers hover over a pastry, tempted to snatch it up and shove it into your mouth...But then you shoot a sidelong glance at Kim.</p><p>LOGIC [Medium: Success] - Not only is there a nonzero chance of damage to your outfit if you decide to eat now, if your hands are all sticky…</p><p>HAND/EYE COORDINATION [Easy: Success] - You won’t be able to dance with Kim.</p><p>YOU - You clench your teeth. This is an impossible choice.</p><p>EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - No, it’s not. Don’t be an idiot.</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Trivial: Success] - This may be your only chance to dance with Kim. Don’t blow it.</p><p>YOU - Yeah, that’s not an impossible choice at all.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant sees you hovering indecisively in front of the table. “We should stay sharp for tonight,” he says in a low voice.</p><p>EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - He thinks you’re considering drinking.</p><p>YOU - “I wasn’t considering drinking, Kim,” you say, turning to him.</p><p>REFRESHMENTS TABLE - A woman in an ocean-blue dress jostles your elbow, so you put a hand on Kim’s shoulder and guide him gently away from the table, out of the way of the crowd that wants to get at those delectable pastries.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “I’m glad to hear it,” he says in a dry voice. “Can I ask why we made a long detour to *get punch* and then opted against it? I don’t think the juice was alcoholic.”</p><p>YOU - “I don’t want to drink fruit juice,” you blurt, “I want to dance with you.”</p><p>REACTION SPEED [Formidable: Success] - Kim’s eyes widen, ever so slightly.</p><p>SUGGESTION [Challenging: Success] - Press your advantage. Say something *suave*.</p><p>YOU - “Kim, I meant what I said earlier. You look incredible. We’ve got an hour until our meeting, and we shouldn’t spend that time standing around suspiciously.”</p><p>SAVOIR FAIRE [Challenging: Success] - He’s still watching you as if he can’t believe you’re asking. Now, pull a move!</p><p>YOU - In an unbelievably corny gesture, you actually tuck a hand into your suit jacket and *bow* in front of Kim, reaching out with your other hand to take his wrist.</p><p>YOU - “Kim,” you say, straightening, “Would you give me the honor of this dance?”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - He just looks at you.</p><p>PAIN THRESHOLD [Impossible: Failure] - OH GOD ABORT ABORT ABORT -</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Of course, Harry.” And then he smiles.</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Trivial: Success] - The smile spreads across his face like sunlight across a winter morning. It lights up every plane and edge of his expression. You have seen few broad smiles like this from Kim Kitsuragi, and each one is to be treasured.</p><p>YOU - You beam back and offer him your hand.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - He takes it. His hand is warm in yours.</p><p>INTERFACING [Easy: Failure] - You hesitate for a moment, uncertain which of you should take the lead. You know only a little of this kind of dancing - you prefer to boogie and jive in a bar pumping with disco beats. It feels weird, though, to ask Kim to dance and then require him to lead.</p><p>ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Failure] - You don’t know if he dances. You don’t even know if he *likes* dancing. Maybe this was a mistake.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - Before you can doubt yourself further, however, Kim loops your arm over his shoulder and places one hand neatly at your waist. He smiles at you again.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “It’s been a while, so please forgive me if I am rusty.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - With that, he swirls the two of you out onto the dance floor.</p><p>ENCYCLOPEDIA [Challenging: Failure] - You’re not quite able to determine the origins of the dance that is taking place. It is designed for high society, that much is certain, but its sweeping gestures and mincing steps seem to mix the cultural influences of several isolas. You’ve never seen its like before - but then again, you’ve never been at an incredibly wealthy ball before. Not that you can remember, anyway.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant doesn’t know the dance, that much is clear, but he knows enough *of* dancing to adapt. He places his feet sedately and thoughtfully, skipping more complex steps when he needs to, in order to keep your place in the music.</p><p>YOU - The two of you sway close together, Kim’s smaller figure leading your own unerringly through the nobles moving around you.</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Trivial: Success] - Your eyes are fixed on Kim’s. His pupils are dark and heady, pulling you in.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] - One of his hands is warm at your waist, and the other holds yours.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - There is a faint smile on his face as he stares back at you. The sumptuous light in the room reflects off of the rims of his glasses and the light color of his suit sets off his dark hair.</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - The first dance ends on a dip, and he dips you gracefully. Leaning back in his sturdy grip, you stare up at him; he is silhouetted by the golden glow of the chandelier, pure luminescence dripping down over his shoulders and arms.</p><p>
  
</p><p>YOU - “Kim…”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - As if startled, he pulls you back to your feet, the moment broken.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Khm. You dance well, Harry.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - He has immediately slipped back into his more formal stance, his back straight and his hands folded behind him.</p><p>YOU - “You dance...amazingly, Kim.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Don’t flatter me. It has been a long time since I did anything resembling a dance.” He turns his face partly away, but you can see a small smile playing on his lips.</p><p>YOU - “Really, Kim. I’ve never seen this weird dance before, and I’m willing to bet you haven’t either. You adapted to it so quickly.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - He laughs quietly. “Sure, Harry.”</p><p>PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Trivial: Success] - The band strikes up again; the next song is a slow one, throbbing and plaintive.</p><p>YOU - You offer Kim your hand again.</p><p>YOU - “Care for another turn?”</p><p>THE BALLROOM - For the next hour, it feels as if you have entered a new world, shiny and golden. Kim Kitsuragi is in your arms and he smiles at you endlessly. You find it nearly impossible not to lean in and kiss him, but you think that if you reached that point, you might not be able to stop yourself.</p><p>HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - ...And you are afraid of his reaction. What if this is all an act? You *are* posing as a couple, after all.</p><p>THE BALLROOM - Around you, other couples swirl in time with the music, all wrapped up in their individual worlds alongside yours.</p><p>LOGIC [Easy: Failure] - But all too soon…</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Harry, we’d better…” He blinks. “I’m tired. Do you want to take a break?”</p><p>LOGIC - He is letting you know that the hour is nearly up. You’d better find your painting.</p><p>PAIN THRESHOLD [Easy: Success] - A twinge of pain goes through you at the thought of letting go of Kim. So you compromise; even as the two of you pull apart, you hook your elbow through his.</p><p>YOU - “We’re together, after all,” you say with a smile.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - Surprise flashes over the lieutenant’s face, but he concedes the point. Arm in arm, the two of you stroll off the dance floor and toward the art gallery in the adjoining room.</p><p>VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - As soon as you enter, your eyes begin scanning for the painting you were told about. And it is not hard to spot; it dwarfs the others, a large portrait in gold leaf and shining green, with other colors splashed liberally across it.</p><p>YOU - “Shall we go take a look at that one?” you ask Kim, pulling lightly on his arm.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant smiles back at your unsubtle hinting, and the two of you move around the room, pretending to look at paintings until at last you come to a halt in front of the large green painting.</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Trivial: Success] - It is extremely abstract, evoking both the greenery of a forest and a hint of toxic waste.</p><p>PERCEPTION [Trivial: Success] - There are two other people standing before the painting as you walk up, but one of them departs upon your arrival.</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - The other bystander, a woman with short black hair and a long, ocean blue dress, turns to face you with her eyebrow raised.</p><p>PERCEPTION - Your eyes immediately flash to her finger, but she isn’t wearing the signet ring. You relax slightly; not the Mazda, then.</p><p>HALF LIGHT [Trivial: Success] - But she could still be someone close to the Mazda. You’d better stay on your guard and maintain your cover.</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] - And *that* means staying cozy with Kim.</p><p>YOU - You pull him a little bit closer to you, snaking your arm around to his other side.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - He glances at you in mild surprise, but does not pull away.</p><p>YOU - “Hello, ma’am,” you say, deciding to break the awkward silence as the woman in blue gazes at you. “Enjoying the art?”</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - “Yes, it’s quite...evocative,” she replies, her eyes flicking between the two of you. You pull Kim a little bit closer to you under her gaze.</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - “You two make a cute couple,” she says.</p><p>EMPATHY [Medium: Failure] - You can’t quite tell if she is sneering or genuine.</p><p>RHETORIC [Trivial: Success] - Take her at her word - you don’t want to make any enemies here.</p><p>YOU - “Thanks,” you grin.</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - “I don’t think I’ve seen you at one of these galas before. What are your names, if you don’t mind?”</p><p>HALF LIGHT [Trivial: Success] - Why is she being so nosy?</p><p>YOU - You continue to smile despite a bead of sweat running down your spine. “I’m Harry, and this is Kim. And you are?”</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - “Ah, I don’t like giving out my name to strangers.” She smiles sharply, like a predator.</p><p>INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - Something is wrong here.</p><p>LOGIC [Medium: Failure] - She might not be the Mazda, but she could be onto you. No one should be eyeing you with this much suspicion right off the bat.</p><p>HALF LIGHT [Trivial: Success] - It feels as though the room is closing in around you. Well-dressed onlookers press in on every side. Were there this many people looking at the painting before? Are the jaws of a trap closing on you?</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Harry,” murmurs the lieutenant at your side, “Perhaps we should be going? We seem to be bothering this woman.” He directs a smile with no warmth in her direction.</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - “Oh, no. You shouldn’t leave yet. How could we lose such esteemed personages?” Her smile broadens. “A friend of mine told me that we would have two members of the RCM visiting tonight, just before he had an unfortunate accident. He made this piece of artwork, in fact. What a coincidence that I would find you two here.”</p><p>HALF LIGHT [Medium: Failure] - Your heart leaps into your throat.</p><p>LOGIC [Trivial: Success] - *She knows*.</p><p>HALF LIGHT - You have to get out of here right now.</p><p>YOU - You begin to try to back up, but the woman steps forward, and there are partygoers pressing at your back. They are *definitely* not just coming to see the painting.</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - “You’re going to pay for this.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Harry,” says Kim.</p><p>YOU - “Run,” you hiss back, and then you turn and try to break through the crowd.</p><p>PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Formidable: Success] - The partygoers are standing firm; about half of them seem to be trying to actually stop you, while the others are simply confused obstacles. It takes effort to force your way through them and haul Kim after you, but you manage it, elbowing glasses of champagne and people in fancy dress aside.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Go left here,” the lieutenant gasps, and you obey.</p><p>ENDURANCE [Medium: Success] - You heave a breath as you skid into a mostly empty corridor. Here and there are little alcoves with decorative plants, but you don’t see any other people.</p><p>YOU - “Where now, Kim?”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “If I’m remembering the maps correctly, there should be an exit at the end of this hall,” he says breathlessly.</p><p>VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - It’s a long hallway and you can hear feet pounding behind you. You’re not going to be able to make it down the length of the whole thing before the woman (the Mazda?) and her people catch up to you.</p><p>DRAMA [Challenging: Success] - Perhaps it is time for a bit of *acting*, my liege?</p><p>YOU - You begin running again, with Kim dashing after you, but even as your breath puffs in and out you attempt to explain the plan to him.</p><p>YOU - “Kim, this is going to sound stupid, but I read it in a novel once - ”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “I don’t care if it was from Dick Mullen as long as it gets us out of this,” the lieutenant pants.</p><p>COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - Maybe *don’t* tell him that it was from something even less relevant than Dick Mullen...the kind of novel that has a swooning princess and her handsome prince on the cover.</p><p>YOU - “They’re going to catch us if they see us running down the hall. But if we - ”</p><p>PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Trivial: Success] - You hear them about to round the corner behind you. There is no time to explain.</p><p>REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - You shove Kim against the wall and kiss him.</p><p>LOGIC [Medium: Failure] - Maybe they will mistake you for a couple from the party and ignore you; it’s happened before.</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Trivial: Success] - In books, but art mirrors reality, right?</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] - Kim’s mouth is crushed against yours and his hands come up to grasp your shoulders. For a moment you fear he is going to push you away, but then he pulls you closer, parting his lips ever so slightly against yours. You melt into him, sliding a hand into his hair, feeling the fine fabric of his suit against your other palm…</p><p>WOMAN IN BLUE - “There!”</p><p>ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Shit.</p><p>YOU - “Shit,” you hiss, pulling away. “It didn’t work.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “No shit,” snaps Kim, flustered and red-faced, and then the two of you take off at a sprint again.</p><p>CONCEPTUALIZATION [Trivial: Success] - If this was a story, you would end it right there, with the enemy on your heels and love brewing in your hearts. However, this is real life, and getting out of the warehouse is hectic and terrifying and, at one point, involves bullets careening over your head.</p><p>SHIVERS [Trivial: Success] - When you barrel out of a side door at last and onto the street, the city welcomes you back into its depths, telling you *you are alive* with every slap of shoes on pavement.</p><p>YOU - You and Kim run for several blocks before you come to a halt, wheezing and puffing.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Well,” he says after a long moment, “That didn’t go as planned, did it?” But as he looks at you, he can’t keep a smile off his face.</p><p>YOU - “Hmm,” you pant, “Not really.”</p><p>SHIVERS - The night is cool and dark and swaddles you in it like a gentle parent.</p><p>YOU - “We should...probably report back to the Precinct.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Satellite-Officer Vicquemare is going to be furious. All his planning, and we didn’t discover anything. We barely got out with our lives,” he remarks mildly, and with a casual gesture takes your arm again.</p><p>EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - Your heart thumps hard in your chest.</p><p>YOU - “So, um…”</p><p>PERCEPTION [Trivial: Success] - As the two of you begin to walk, a gentle breeze blows against your faces.</p><p>YOU - “About my escape tactic.”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant laughs. “Yes-yes, it was certainly...unorthodox,” he says.</p><p>SUGGESTION [Medium: Success] - Now’s your chance. Make your move.</p><p>YOU - “Would you, uh...like to repeat it?”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - He laughs again. “Repeat our daring escape from the jaws of death? Not if I can help it.”</p><p>EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - He’s poking fun at you.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Repeat the night without the danger to my life, though? That, I could do.”</p><p>COMPOSURE [Medium: Failure] - Your breath catches in your throat.</p><p>YOU - “Do you mean you…?”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant lifts your hand to his lips and presses a kiss to it, then smiles at you. “Are you free tomorrow night?” he asks.</p><p>YOU - “Yes - yes, I am. Of course I am. If I wasn’t, I would *make* myself be free, I mean - ”</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Okay-okay, Harry. Take a deep breath.” His eyes crinkle as the light of a nearby streetlamp glints off his glasses.</p><p>YOU - “I’m breathing,” you say.</p><p>KIM KITSURAGI - “Good,” he says. “You’ll need your breath for our walk back to the Precinct, because I don’t think we should return for the Kineema right now.”</p><p>YOU - You groan, and Kim laughs, and the lights illuminating your path down the street twinkle like solitary stars.</p>
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